No bodies home

 At night. In January. On a graveyard. Rural Maine. King's horror?

Long old house. Built after the first war. Big pile of chopped wood. A mustang running still warm. Where. Are. The. Owners.

Call came from here. The three J's on duty. Jimmy, Jennine and Jonah. Cars on the driveway. Lights flashing. Headlights on. Do ghosts like cops?

Lights out, everywhere. Radio noise pierces night dark-porridge. HQ checking in. Empty, no pets. Recently used Mustang. Checking the doors. Roger.

Knock knock knock. Silence. Squelch squelch. Knock knock knock. Silence. Squelch squelch squelch. Knock knock knock. Silence. All doors unanswered.

Walk to the car. Three J's together. What scares them?

Headphone. Announcement. Police presence. Suspicious activity. Call. Request for response.

Silence.

Minutes go by. Cold Maine wind howls. Freezing eyebrows. J's put on silent headphones. Sirens synchronized. Start blaring.

Warnings on the headphone. Two headphones now. Taking turns. Request for response. Reported behavior. Forced to intervene. Five minutes.

Bone-piercing wind blows harder. Coyotes call, faraway. The minutes dissolve.

Fifteen minutes later. Front door. Two covers. Jonah turns the handle. Click. Door opens. Warm, comfortable.

Carefully, they move. Jimmy flips the switch. Bright wooden cabin. Coal in the fireplace. Food in pots. Still warm. Possible poisoning?

Call for ambulance.

House is explored. Nobody home. Uneaten food in the pet bowl. Recently wiped makeup in the bedroom.

Walls knocked. Floors prodded. Plans referred to. No empty rooms. No hidden closets. No basement.

No bodies home.

Recall.

Two days later. Neighbors talk. Family of five, missing. No pets.

Where?
Why?
How?

Dun. Dun. Dun.